Not So Delightful
by thelivingtunic
Summary: An AU of sorts. When the Delightful Children wake up, alone and un-Delightfulized, and with no memories beyond falling into a giant toilet, they struggle to find out what happened to them and adjust to being their old selves once again. Afraid of being re-Delightfulized by Father, the former members of Sector Z turn to the Kids Next Door for help. But can they truly help them?
1. Waking Up

A pair of green eyes fluttered open slowly, a low groan escaping the owner. He sat up slowly, groggy and confused about his location. He blinked a few times, looking around the cave he found himself in. "W-where am I?" he asked. "W-wait, I-I'm alive…?" he questioned, his memories coming back to him. They'd fallen into a gigantic toilet, and…That was all he could recall at the moment.

"I-I'm…Alone!" he gasped in shock, realizing his four 'siblings' were missing. He couldn't help himself and screamed, the realization that he was his own person for the first time in a while again nearly overwhelming him. He took a few breaths after, calming before slowly rising from the old mattress he'd been laying and sitting on.

'Bruce? Constance? Lenny? Ashley?' he thought, looking around again. "I-I should go look f-for them…" David muttered to himself, starting to wander around the cave carefully.

The cave seemed to be empty. It was quiet as David moved through it, trying to look around as much as he could. "…Wait, how am I not Delightful anymore?" he frowned to himself, suddenly very confused. "It…was supposed to be permanent." He just kept looking for any signs of the others, hoping someone could help him figure things out.

He stopped after a few moments, staring straight ahead. "Ashley!" he cried out, the blonde girl starting to push herself up off the cave floor she'd been laying on slowly.

"Ugh…" she groaned, disoriented. She blinked a few times, like David had, and looked up to see him kneeling in front of her. "…David?"

"Yeah, it's me," David nodded. "I'm glad to see you…"

"…Are we still connected?" She asked after a moment, sitting up. "I finally feel like me again."

"I don't think we are," David shook his head. "I think it's finally over."

"I'm glad…But we don't deserve this," she answered, chuckling darkly. She rose to her feet with a hand from David, walking along with him through the cave and looking around to see if there was any sign of the other three.

"I wonder about the others…" David commented, worrying about Lenny, Constance, and Bruce.

"I do too. It's weird being completely separated," Ashley answered. David nodded his agreement.

Before long, the cave began to lighten. David frowned, having seen no sign of their missing companions. They reached the cave exit, David lifting an arm to shield his eyes from the light, while Ashley squinted and winced.

"We're free," he breathed, taking a deep breath of the fresh air.

"But we didn't find the others…" Ashley reminded him. "So what do we do now? Where do we go now?"

"There's just one place we can go at a time like this…" David trailed off, looking at Ashley.

"You don't mean…"

"I do."

"You're crazy!"

"We have no choice, Ashley."

"Ugh, fine."

* * *

 **Sorry, short chapter is short! I just think it's better to cut off here than to go into anything else, I have a specific pace I want to follow for the first few chapters so...Cya soon!**


	2. Help?

Things weren't the same as they had once been at the Sector V Treehouse. Nigel Uno, also known as Numbuh 1 to the KND Operatives, had been chosen to go into space to work for the Galactic Kids Next Door. Numbuh 5 had taken command of Sector V on his parting orders, and for months things were fine, although they had all missed Numbuh 1 terribly.

And then it happened. Numbuh 362, the soopreme leader of the KND, had stepped down. Numbuh 5 ended up becoming her successor, and tearfully left Sector V for the Moonbase.

Sector V now consisted of Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, and Numbuh 4. They hadn't yet received a new operative for their Sector, and they didn't much mind, despite the dwindling members. They missed their old teammates too much to care.

"It just ain't the same 'round here without Numbuh 1!" Wally complained loudly one day.

"Or Numbuh 5!" Kuki added, sharing his sentiments.

"I know guys, but they just couldn't pass those opportunities up. You're only a kid once, right?" Hoagie told them, quoting Nigel from just before his departure. Just then, the intruder alert blared, startling the three operatives. "Kids Next Door, Battlestations!" Hoagie shouted, having reluctantly and somewhat unwillingly taken command after Abby had left. Each member grabbed a weapon, spinning to face the main door as it slid open. They stared forward in shock as they saw the intruders, unable to say a word.

David and Ashley stood in the doorway, looking back at them quietly. They no longer wore their snobbish Delightful Children outfits, instead looking much more casual than the team had ever seen them; David in a red and black sweater and baggy pants, while Ashley wore a baggy shirt that hung below her shoulders and an undershirt with baggy pants as well. Her hair was also up in a ponytail, having tired of having her hair down long.

"The Delightful Children?" the team shouted in surprise, having thought their enemies had already met their demise when they'd stopped showing around after Numbuh 1's showdown with them. The three operatives raised their weapons, frowning deeply.

"Wait!" David piped up. "We're not here to hurt you. We…Actually need your help," he informed them, him and Ashley holding their hands up.

"You, needing our help?" Wally asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why should we trust ya?"

"Hey, they look different!" Kuki exclaimed, smiling. "And there's only two of them here," she observed.

"If you haven't noticed, we're no longer Delightfulized," Ashley informed them, frowning. "Somehow, we're back to our…old selves. We don't know how, all we know is we woke up in a cave, and the others weren't there. We had nowhere else to go and so we came here," she huffed. David nodded.

Hoagie lowered his weapon a little, though he was still wary of them. "So…You're not evil anymore then?" he asked.

"No, we're not," David answered, shaking his head. "Please, we need your help. We have nowhere else to go…Father will re-Delightfulize us if he captures us. We don't want to be your enemies anymore," he said, frowning at the thought.

Hoagie just looked thoughtful. "Ya can't be considerin' helpin' them, can ya Numbuh 2? They tried to kill us so many times!" Wally exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Well…It is our job to help kids," Hoagie pointed out. "And we don't exactly want the Delightful Children back either, especially when we're down in team members…So, I guess that just means one thing," he said. "…We'll help you. Make yourselves comfortable, I guess?" he added awkwardly. "But don't get too comfortable! We'll be keeping our eyes on ya, ya dig?"

"Thank you, Hoagie Gilligan," Ashley said, bowing a little.

"Do me a favour, and stop calling me 'Hoagie Gilligan'. That's creepy," Numbuh 2 shuddered a little. "Just Hoagie or Numbuh 2 is fine."

"Sorry," Ashley nodded. "We're just glad…Maybe we can find the others soon, too…"

* * *

 **I know, I know, another short chapter. We'll get to the good stuff soon, I swear! Promises. Also I'm like half sorry that I'm really centralized on David, but he's my favourite DCFDTL...**


	3. Settling

"So it seems like things have changed a lot in the KND since we've been…" David paused. "Apart of it," he finally settled on, looking around at some of the treehouse's tech, while Ashley just watched him.

"I'd bet," Hoagie commented. "If you're interested, I can show you some of the new tech. I built a lot of things around here myself," he said proudly, grinning. David couldn't help but grin a little, intrigued by the offer.

"I think I'd like that," he answered, but his gaze shifted back to Ashley. "I mean, if that's okay with you, Ashley. I don't want to just leave you…Or maybe you could come with?" he offered, still unsure of the prospect of consciously being away from her yet. Before Ashley could reply, Kuki grabbed her by the wrist gently.

"Let me show you around! I can even show you my room; it's been so long since there's been another girl here!" Kuki giggled, pulling Ashley away with her. Ashley just shrugged at David before she was led from the room, unable to keep herself from smiling at Kuki's excitement. She had expected it to be much more difficult to get on good terms with one of their former enemies; but Kuki Sanban had never been the type to be wary or untrusting.

David just chuckled at Numbuh 3's excitement before following Hoagie as he began to show him their 2x4 technology he'd spent long hours working on. "You've made a lot of interesting tech," David said, impressed by Numbuh 2's work.

"Thanks. So, uh, were you the tech officer for Sector Z?" the shorter boy asked him, a little hesitantly, not entirely sure how he'd react to being asked about the old days. David just paused for a moment, not expecting the question, and Hoagie immediately worried about it. "I mean, you don't have to answer that if it bothers you! I was just curious about it!"

"…No, it's okay. I was indeed the tech officer for Sector Z. Or…I am?" David answered, looking confused. "I'm not sure who or what we are anymore…Well…" he trailed off, not wanting to say the word _broken_ that was hovering on his tongue aloud. "…Anyway, we obviously never had anything like this. It's all come a long way," he grinned. Hoagie grinned back a little nervously, still worried that he had bothered the other operative.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ashley was stunned by the sheer amount of stuffed animals that flooded Kuki's room. Kuki just beamed, introducing as many of her Rainbow Monkeys to the other girl as she could. She waved them about and hugged each of them individually; all of them having a unique name that only Kuki herself would ever be able to remember.

"You really like Rainbow Monkeys, huh?" Ashley asked, slowly smiling a little.

"I don't just LIKE them, silly! I LOVE them!" Kuki squealed in excitement.

"Well, they are pretty cute," the blonde replied. Before she knew it, Ashley got pulled into playing with Kuki and her stuffed animals. She felt a little awkward at first but soon got into it, her troubles temporarily leaving her while she spent time with Numbuh 3.

Meanwhile, Wally was still upset about the two Delightfuls being in the treehouse. "I ain't gonna trust 'em, no sir. Not me, no way," he grumbled to himself, getting a soda from the kitchen and going off to play video games. "Just 'cause they suckered in Numbuh 2 and Numbuh 3, but they ain't gonna get me, nope. 'Cause I'm too cool. K-E-W-L, cool," he said to himself, taking up a controller and plopping down on the sofa to play one of his favourite games.

Hoagie and David came into the living room before long, pausing to see what Wally was playing. "Whatcha playin', Numbuh 4?" Hoagie asked with a grin, while David just watched the screen with a curious expression and a raised brow.

"You know what I'm playin'," Wally retorted, not giving an actual answer and keeping his eyes on the screen.

"It looks…Fascinating," David muttered, quickly getting drawn into the game. "I've never played a game like this before."

"Why don't you let David have a try? I know this game's two-player," Hoagie suggested. Wally just looked at him, contemplating the idea. He got up momentarily and got the second controller, handing it to David.

"Here ya go," he said bluntly. "Just press the start button in the middle." He waited until David had joined in the game, then started to show him how to play, gradually warming up and getting into it. David just grinned as he slowly began to get the hang of it, having loads of fun with the game and Wally. Hoagie just grinned, grabbing himself a soda before settling to watch them.

"Is that soda?" David asked after a minute, having noticed Numbuh 2 coming back with the beverage.

"Sure is. The fizziest kind we got," Hoagie chuckled. "Oh, uh, would you like some? I shoulda asked…"

"It's alright," David smiled. "But yes, please. I can't remember the last time I was able to have a soda…" he said, his smile fading momentarily before shaking his head. Hoagie just nodded, getting up to get another soda for David, coming back quickly before opening it. David paused the game when he took the cold, sugary beverage, looking at it curiously before carefully lifting it to his lips and taking a sip. He lowered it and stared at the drink, grinning widely. "It's awesome!"

"We're glad it makes you feel so _bubbly_ ," Numbuh 2 joked, and Wally just gave Hoagie an unamused look.

"Is that really the best ya can do?" he grumbled.

"My jokes are great," Hoagie defended.

The three boys ended up spending the rest of the day together, Kuki and Ashley rejoining them at some point but having enjoyed their time together. "We're so glad you agreed to help us, thank you all," David and Ashley said together, looking startled. "I guess that's…not gone yet," they muttered, suddenly looking sad.

"Hey, cheer up. That'll stop in no time flat, I mean it happens to regular kids too sometimes," Hoagie said. They both just nodded, smiling a little as they relaxed again.

Everyone jumped as the intruder alarm went off again. "Again?" Wally asked, frowning.

"Kids Next Door, Battlestations!" Hoagie shouted, Numbuhs 2, 3 and 4 grabbing their weapons. David and Ashley were terrified, wondering if Father had somehow figured out they were there already. The main door to the treehouse opened, and the operatives all gasped.

David and Ashley breathed out a single word in unison, but not focused on that fact this time. "Constance!"

* * *

 **And chapter three is here! I should be working on other things but eh, can't help myself xD Enjoy!**


	4. How Delightful

"Constance!" David and Ashley repeated, relieved to see her. Hoagie, Kuki and Wally lowered their weapons as the members of Sector Z reunited.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see that you guys are already here!" Constance smiled, hugging her friends tightly. They returned the hug eagerly.

"We're so glad you're okay! We couldn't find you or Lenny or Bruce when we woke up, we were so worried!" Ashley told her. "Are they with you? Where are they?"

Constance frowned a little in concern. "I don't know. I woke up on my own, in some abandoned park building," she informed them. "The last thing I remember before that is just…Us falling into that gigantic toilet," she shuddered. "But how are we not Delightful?"

"We're not sure either. The toilet is the last thing we remember too," David said, frowning too.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out in time," Ashley said. "Let's just be glad the three of us are back together," she smiled, the other two nodding and smiling in agreement. Hoagie, Kuki and Wally just watched them, finally walking off to let them have some privacy, though the three members of Sector Z caught up to them a little later.

* * *

 _Suddenly, the treehouse was plunged into darkness. David looked around, startled, realizing it was dead silent just as quickly. He opened his mouth to speak, to ask what was going on, but the words stuck in his throat. The brunette boy slowly started moving carefully, trying to find any of the others to find out just what could possibly be going on._

 _His fingers brushed the soft fabric of clothing, and he silently sighed in relief. He extended his hand out farther, making contact with more of the fabric, as well as smooth skin. The figure in front of him turned due to the contact, immediately illuminating them, and David quickly retracted his arm from them like he'd been burned._

 _Delightful Ashley grinned evilly at him, her pale blue eyes giving off a strange glow in the dark. "What's the matter, David? Don't you recognize me?" she taunted, chuckling lowly. David took a step back, still unable to say a word. She took a step forward, keeping the same distance between them. "We've spent so much time together. Wasn't it lovely? Forced together, we couldn't part even if we had wanted to," she laughed sharply. "We know how much you wanted to, David. We all know how much you wanted to kick and scream and cry, but you couldn't. You couldn't do a thing," she continued._

 _David continued backing away from her, until he felt something grab his arm. Delightful Lenny was suddenly beside him, gripping his arm firmly. "We kept you trapped. We let you watch everything, but gave you no control," Lenny said, though whether he was smirking or not couldn't be determined. "Hurting and tormenting kids, when you swore to help and protect them," he chuckled darkly. "Do you think you could ever go back to that? Can you just forget what you've done? Can you forget what we've done?"_

 _David just tried to get away from him, pulling in the opposite direction. He struggled hard when his other arm was grabbed, Delightful Bruce and Constance both holding onto him together. "Now, now, David, there's no need to struggle," they said together, both smirking up at him. "It's not like you can get away from us. You can never get away from us. You know that, don't you? Deep down, even though you're free right now, you know we're still there. We're still there, and ready to drag you down and hold you captive once again, inside the prison that is your own body."_

 _David froze up as his own Delightful counterpart appeared before him, beside Ashley. "I will have control once again. We both know it. When I take over again, you will never come back. When I take control again, I will crush you into nothing," he laughed, loud and cruel._

 _The room suddenly lit up, as suddenly as it had fallen dark, but they were no longer in the Sector V treehouse. David felt a wave of fear wash over him, more than the Delightfuls had already instilled in him, as he recognized the interior of the Delight Mansion From Down the Lane. The Delightfuls suddenly started dragging him along forcefully, the brunette operative's struggles and resistance doing nothing to stop or slow them. All too quickly, they dragged him to their destination: the Delightfulization Chamber. They pulled him towards it much more slowly than they had through the rest of the mansion, as if savouring the growing panic within their prisoner._

 _He kept trying to fight them despite the inevitability of the situation, until at last they had the chamber door open. They paused for a moment, with him in front of the open door, before shoving him into it as hard as they could. David could do nothing to stop them, the door slamming shut immediately after, and he squeezed his eyes shut as they turned the power on…_

David sprang up into a sitting position, drenched in a cold sweat and involuntarily screaming from his nightmare. It took him a few minutes to realize he was awake, and that he had been dreaming, and that none of that had actually happened. He stopped his screaming, but looked up to see Hoagie looking at him in concern.

"Holy moley, are you alright? I've never heard anyone scream like that before," he said, his eyes wide.

"I-I-I'm f-fine," David stammered, suddenly realizing he was shaking terribly. "I-It was j-just…A nightmare," he added, looking at his hands and trying to will himself to stop shaking, though it didn't work.

Numbuh 3 came running into the room momentarily with Ashley and Constance, Wally running in just behind them. "David, are you okay?" Ashley asked, hurrying over with Constance right behind her.

"I'm fine. I just had a nightmare, that's all," he said, sounding calmer already. The two girls just looked at each other, having an idea of what he might have dreamed about, before just looking back at him. "Seriously, I'm okay. I'm sorry for waking everyone, you should all go back to bed," he told them all.

Wally just grumbled about being woken up and went back to his room, Kuki hesitating a little before going off to her room too. "If you think we're just going to go back to bed after that…" Constance frowned determinedly.

"It was one nightmare, okay?" The brunette boy answered. "I'm okay; you don't need to worry about me. I can handle it, you know that."

"Even after everything…" Ashley trailed off, before shaking her head. "Alright, if you say so, I guess. Good night then," she said, starting to leave the room with Constance. Hoagie had already crept out of the room, and Ashley paused at the doorway after the light went out again. She looked back towards David briefly, sighing softly and following Constance off down the hall and back to bed.

David laid awake for a while, reluctant to sleep again. He got up and headed to the nearest washroom, just staring into the mirror at himself. "Come on, get a grip," he muttered to himself. "It was just a dream. You can handle it, you're tougher than that." He stared into the mirror for a few minutes more, before sighing and leaving the bathroom. "At least I was…"

* * *

 **Chapter 4! Where something interesting kind of finally happens! (even if it didn't actually happen? It still counts, right?)**


	5. Unexpected Call

Ashley wandered around the treehouse when she awoke; wanting to find David and make sure he was alright. She hadn't bought it when he'd repeatedly said he was fine after his nightmare, and she was going to check on him, whether he liked it or not. She just frowned when she couldn't find him, puzzled at where he could possibly be.

"I think he's off with Numbuh 4," Hoagie told her when she eventually asked him if he'd seen the other boy. "He said something about wanting a refresher in hand-to-hand, I think? Numbuh 4's our combat specialist, so he took up the offer," Numbuh 2 shrugged. Ashley just nodded, thanking Hoagie for the help.

"Boys are weird," Constance commented as she walked up beside Ashley.

"They sure are," Ashley agreed. The two girls ended up finding their way to the living room, sitting to talk and joke with each other for a while. "Hey, Constance…Are you bothered much by what happened?" Ashley asked after a bit. "I'm pretty sure David is, and I just…I think I'm confused, mostly. I feel like myself again for the most part, but I feel…different after being delightfulized, too, and…Sometimes I can't help but worry that _they_ might take over again, especially since we don't know how we're back. We were never supposed to be like this again…"

Constance just put a hand on Ashley's shoulder. "I'm feeling that too. No nightmares—for now—but I do feel a little confused. The Kids Next Door have forgotten us. Our families…Have to have moved on without us by now," she frowned, looking sad briefly before continuing. "But we'll get used to this. We may not know how or why we're us again, but we'll be back to normal and kicking adult rear before you know it," she grinned at her blonde friend. Ashley just chuckled at her comment.

"Of course we will. We're Sector Z, we're the best of the best," she grinned back, hugging Constance. "Now if we could just get David to open up and spill the beans," she sighed. "He might act like Mr. Tough Guy now, but we both know he's as soft as a marshmellow on the inside," she added, Constance snickering a little.

"I'm pretty sure he just doesn't want us to be worried about him," the brunette snorted. "I bet he has some weirdo idea that he's got to be the strong one or help us through it or something. David's kind of a dork like that," she shrugged. "But he does mean well. So hopefully he'll relax a little soon, and maybe not wake up screaming in the middle of the night," she continued, being serious again.

"Who's a 'dork', hm?" David asked, stepping into the room alongside Wally.

"If you heard the dork comment, you already know I was referring to you," Constance answered. "Dork."

"Is that any way to speak to your second-in-command?" he asked teasingly, looking a bit smug.

"I think it is, actually," she smirked at him. "Especially when my second-in-command just so happens to be a huge dork!" She and Ashley burst into giggles, and David just plopped down onto the couch with them as Kuki came into the room too. Wally and Kuki ended up fighting over the tv remote and which show to watch, while the Sector Z members simply watched them in amusement.

* * *

Hoagie was off working on some new gadget he was in the process of building when a transmission alert went off. He stopped what he was doing to answer the call, surprised when Numbuh 5 appeared on the screen.

"Abby! Err, I mean, Supreme Leader Numbuh 5!" Hoagie beamed at her, before giving a salute.

"Please Hoagie, you don't gotta do that," Abby shrugged at him. "So how is Sector V holdin' up? Abby misses y'all."

"We're doing just great! No need to worry about us," Hoagie chuckled in response.

"Are ya still sure about three members, Hoagie?" she asked him, worried about the three of them anyway; currently unaware of the three Sector Z members residing in the treehouse at the moment. "We can always send ya one or two more, y'know, fill out the squad. Then ya can get back to inventin' and pilotin' full time," she offered.

"We're still fine for now, Numbuh 5. We still miss you and Numbuh 1 too much to really want another team member right at this moment," he smiled sheepishly, shrugging a little. To be honest, he wouldn't mind having more teammates. Sector V was getting fairly small, and they weren't going to be operatives forever; someone had to take over. At the moment, however, with the members of Sector Z hiding out with them, he felt it was probably for the better to not get any more operatives mixed up in the situation. They were still adjusting, after all, and the last thing that Sector V really needed right now was for the news to be spread around. How many villains would Father send after them to try to re-Delightfulize Sector Z?

"Well, I mean…If you're sure…" Abby frowned a little. "But we do gotta send someone your way soon, Hoagie," she warned him. "Anyway, I just wanted to check in with y'all. I miss you guys."

"And we all miss you too," Hoagie smiled warmly at her. He jumped at little when he heard people yelling and a crashing noise.

"What's that? Is somethin' going on?" Abby asked, looking concerned for her former team.

"It's probably just Numbuh 3 and 4 fighting over the remote again," Hoagie told her, hoping that was all that was going on. He flinched as the yelling got louder, though laughter could also be heard.

"Numbuh 2, that sounds like a lot more than just Kuki and Wally," Numbuh 5 reasoned, frowning at him.

"Maybe they're playing a video game or something?" Hoagie suggested, shrugging a little and smiling nervously. "I'd better go check on them! Bye!" he said quickly, ending the call rather abruptly. He ran off to the living room to see what the commotion was all about.

Kuki, Wally, and the former Sector Z members were just goofing off, playing video games and just teasing each other in general. Hoagie just sighed in relief.

"Phew, that was close—Hey! Who broke the lamp?"

Meanwhile, Abby just wondered what was up with Numbuh 2. He'd never ended a call with her so abruptly before; was the treehouse under attack? There was one thing she suspected, and that was that something was going on in Sector V, something that Hoagie P. Gilligan didn't seem to want to tell her.

"Wha?" Fanny Fulbright, also known as Numbuh 86, gasped when she heard what the Supreme Leader was up to. "Ya can't just leave the moonbase at the drop of a bloody dime! Just for Sector V?"

"Numbuh 5 wants to know what's goin' on over there," she insisted. "Numbuh 5 is gonna go find out herself."

* * *

 **Dun dun dun! Is trouble finally heading their way? Stay tuned, and don't forget to leave a review (if you want)!**


	6. Meeting Up

Numbuh 5 just stared out the window of the ship she was in, heading back towards Earth from the KND Moonbase. She was worried about her old team mates, and insisted upon checking in on them personally, just in case. She sighed, continously wondering what Hoagie hadn't told her.

' _It ain't like Hoagie to keep a secret. Not from me_ ,' she thought to herself. ' _I hope he's okay…I hope they're all okay…I wish Nigel were here. He'd keep them safe no matter what. Or maybe he'd be the Supreme Leader instead. Or maybe we'd all somehow still be Sector V together. He better be okay too_.'

She kept her cool, as always, when the ship was flying towards Sector V and her hometown. Despite her anxiety that something could be wrong with her friends, she couldn't help but feel excited at the same time. She was finally going to get to see them in person again, if everything was fine and she was just being silly about the whole thing. It's not like Wally and Kuki didn't argue about the television programming and the remote all the time, after all, and it wouldn't be a stretch that Numbuh 4 had broken something in the argument. But, as Abby kept reasoning to herself—justifying her trip back to herself—she had to be sure.

* * *

Hoagie jumped when the ship docked in the treehouse, wondering what could be happening. No one had mentioned anything about a visit. Was Sector W in the area again? Did someone need a hand? If they did, wouldn't a transmission be easier than coming here? His mind raced with possibilities, but he was still shocked to see Numbuh 5 herself stepping off the ship.

"Abby! What are you doing here?" he asked, suddenly grinning from ear to ear. "You never mentioned coming home to visit us! Wait, is something happening with Cree?"

She just raised her eyebrow at him. "There ain't nothin' happening with Cree, Hoagie. I came all the way here to make sure y'all were alright. Ya seemed nervous durin' the end of the call, and ya cut off so abruptly. Abby wanted to make sure you were alright," she explained.

"Oh, well um, sorry! You came such a long way when we're all perfectly fine," he chuckled sheepishly. "But I'm glad to see you! Wally and Kuki will be too," he added, though tried to block the door that lead further into the treehouse. "Uh, why don't I just go get 'em, and you can wait here?" he asked, looking and feeling nervous again. Numbuh 5 had said before that she could never forgive the Delightful Children for making Nigel bald. Hoagie wasn't sure how she'd react to finding three of them in the treehouse without authorization, even if they were un-Delightfulized.

Abby just frowned at him. "There ya go again, Numbuh 2. Seriously, what is up with ya, man? What's goin' on here that you ain't tellin' Abby?"

The goggled boy swallowed nervously. "Well, see, there's…We have…A few guests," he started, fidgeting anxiously. "B-But I dunno if you're gonna like it much, because they're um…The Delightful Children…" he continued, flinching as Abby began yelling.

"You let the DELIGHTFUL CHILDREN into the treehouse!" she shouted, throwing her hands up into the air wildly. "HOAGIE P. GILLIGAN! They are our sworn enemies, and _YOU LET THEM INTO THE TREEHOUSE?"_ She started to push past Numbuh 2, drawing a blaster as she went.

"Numbuh 5, no! You don't understand! They're not Delightful anymore!" he shouted, trying to prevent a real situation from breaking out.

"What do ya mean they ain't Delightful anymore?" she asked, glancing at him angrily. "I have half a mind to go in there and…"

"Listen! They're missing KND operatives, Sector Z! They somehow turned back to their old selves, and we've been helping them out by letting them stay here, because we sure as heck don't want Father to re-Delightfulize them again!" Hoagie yelped. Abby just stared at him in surprise.

"They were Sector Z all along?" she asked blankly. Hoagie nodded quickly, though Abby turned and headed further into the treehouse, blaster still drawn. "You were never authorized to help them. Ya know I can't ever forgive 'em for what they did to Numbuh 1," she grumbled to Numbuh 2 as he followed her. "But I wanna meet them."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about them, Abby. I thought it might be too risky to chance the information getting out that they're here. If Father finds out…" Hoagie shuddered as he trailed off.

"…Alright, I guess that's a decent reason for keepin' it under wraps," Abby muttered. "Still mad, though. I thought ya knew you could tell me anything."

Hoagie blinked. "I know I can tell you anything, Numbuh 5. It wasn't you I was worried about over the transmission. I was worried about someone possibly overhearing."

"Just promise that'll you'll tell me the next time somethin's going on around here," she answered.

"Can do!" Hoagie nodded eagerly, smiling at her again.

Abby just smiled back at him briefly. "Right, now let's go see those missin' operatives," she said, walking through the treehouse with Hoagie. They found the former members of Sector Z in the kitchen shortly, the three team mates freezing when they spotted Abby.

"Oh, Numbuh 5," Ashley said, looking nervous. "We're so sorry about all the trouble we caused you, we couldn't...control ourselves…"

"It's alright," Abby said simply. "Abby just wanted to meet ya, that's all. Nobody ever knew what happened to Sector Z…"

The former Sector Z members just looked at each other, frowning. "No one knew? Even after Grandfather's defeat, no one…?" they asked, and Abby and Hoagie shook their heads, not entirely sure what was up with them suddenly.

"Guys? Is everything okay?" Numbuh 2 asked them, concerned.

"Nigel Uno didn't tell anyone…" they said, more to each other than Abby or Hoagie. "We told him what we thought were our last words as Kids Next Door operatives in the Moonbase, and he didn't tell anyone."

"I-I'm sure Numbuh 1 must have mentioned it to someone," Hoagie told them. "I mean, just because we didn't know doesn't mean he didn't tell anyone at all. Maybe we were just…too close to the problem to be told?" he suggested. Ashley just nodded.

"Yeah, maybe," she answered simply, the other two just shrugging a little.

"Anyway," Abby said, wanting to change the subject, definitely not sure if the former sector would hold animosity towards her old leader like the Delightfuls had. "Abby's glad y'all are back to your old selves, but you're missin' a few people?"

"We have no idea where Bruce or Lenny are," Constance answered. "I woke up alone in some old building in an abandoned park, Ashley and David apparently woke up together in some cave."

"Hopefully we can find 'em soon," Numbuh 5 said, looking serious. "We'll try to help out as much as we can. It ain't gonna be easy while keepin' you guys a secret though…" she frowned, rubbing her chin.

"We thank you for any help you can give us," Ashley said, bowing a little. Constance and David nodded in agreement.

They talked for a little longer, before Abby and Hoagie headed back towards her ship. "I wish you could stay longer," Hoagie pouted a little.

"I know, but the Moonbase needs me," she sighed, then frowned a little. "Listen Numbuh 2. Numbuh 5 thinks you should keep an eye on the former Sector Z operatives," she said seriously. "I know they ain't delightful anymore, but still. Abby don't think they can be trusted right now."

"Well…" he started, pausing and frowning a little. "Don't trust them then."

Abby just blinked in surprise at him. "Wha?"

"Don't trust them," he repeated. "Trust me instead. We're all going to be fine here, all together. Just trust me."

She stared at him for a moment, before nodding. "Alright then, Numbuh 5 trusts you, Hoagie."

* * *

 **The chapters just keep getting longer so far, so whoo! Enjoy! Next update will be when I write chapter 8, I like having a buffer for this story xD Enjoy, and don't forget to review (if you want)!**


	7. Rescue Mission

The next few days following Numbuh 5's visit were quiet, the three official members of Sector V battling a few minor villains while the former members of Sector Z stayed in the treehouse, just in case.

"Man, it's been pretty quiet lately," Hoagie commented one day.

"I wanna kick some adult butt already," Wally grumbled, bored with the lack of evil adult activity. Suddenly, an alert went off, signalling an incoming transmission. Hoagie, Wally, and Kuki jumped up and headed to mission control quickly.

"Sector V! We have a mission for you," Numbuh 65.3 told them when the transmission connected. "We've recently heard rumors of Gramma Stuffum holding some poor kid captive and feeding them all sorts of gross food! We want you guys to go check it out."

"We're on it!" Hoagie answered, looking serious. The transmission ended, and Numbuh 2 turned to the other members. "Right, let's go! Kids Next Door, Battlestations!"

The three operatives loaded themselves into the scamper. "Look after the treehouse while we're gone, okay?" Hoagie told the former members of Sector Z before he boarded.

"You can count on us," Ashley answered, nodding in agreement.

"Great. We'll be back as soon as we can," Numbuh 2 said, boarding the airship and taking his seat as pilot. The S.C.A.M.P.E.R took off momentarily, speeding away to find out what was going on with Gramma Stuffum and the rumored captured kid.

* * *

The radar, curiously enough, led them to their elementary school. "So she's at school, that's not weird," Hoagie muttered.

"Aw man, this is a cruddy goose chase," Wally grumbled as they landed nearby, crossing his arms. "How can she be holdin' a kid captive in our own cruddy school?"

"I dunno, but we'll have to check things out," Numbuh 2 answered him, retrieving a splanker. "Let's get ready and get inside, then we'll see what's going on around here," he said, feeling a little suspicious of the whole situation himself.

The team left the scamper, looking for a way to get into the school. Eventually they found a way in, splitting up to try to find out what exactly was going on around here. Kuki started looking through classrooms and the girls' restrooms, while Wally was investigating the boys' restrooms, the gym, and more classrooms, leaving the cafeteria and kitchen areas to Hoagie.

Wally crept around as carefully as he could, turning and pointing his M.U.S.K.E.T in as many different directions as he could. "No cruddy food is gonna sneak up on me…" he muttered to himself, sneaking around the empty gymnasium. He checked the equipment room and found nothing, checking the boys' restroom attached to the main gym, and found nothing again. "I guess there ain't nothin' here," he commented. "We really are on a cruddy goose chase!"

He jumped as food started running across the gym, hiding behind a gym mat as the living food passed by him. He just raised an eyebrow as the food shouted something about an intruder, though his eyes widened when he managed to make out the word 'she'.

"Aw crud, Kuki!" he exclaimed after the food was gone, jumping out of his hiding place and running off to try to go find her. He left the gym through the other exit, turning a corner quickly before running into another group of food minions. "…Aw crud," he he repeated, firing a few shots at the food enemies before turning and running away from them, screaming.

"Get him!" the brussel sprouts at the head of the pack shouted, though they were knocked over and almost trampled in the resulting stampede as the rest of the food took off after Numbuh 4. The blonde glanced over his shoulder after a few minutes, not looking when he slammed into someone and fell to the floor with a grunt. "Hey, watch where yer goin'—Numbuh 3!" he said when he realized he'd slammed into the girl he was looking for, hopping up and giving her a hand.

"Aha, we've got you surrounded!" the dazed brussel sprouts proudly cried out, stumbling from side to side out of the crowd of food. "Alright, it's time we take these intruders to the kitchen!"

Meanwhile, Hoagie was peering into the cafeteria. It was more or less empty, to his surprise, and he darted inside, hiding behind whatever he could as he made his way through the room. He hid beside a vending machine, pressing himself as close against the wall as he could, as a few food minions ran by. He mentally sighed in relief as they went by, not noticing him before he continued on his way. He ended up near the kitchen doors, now having the cover of boxes stacked near and around the doors. He could hear Gramma Stuffum's laughter coming from inside, and he shuffled closer to try to get a peek into the room.

He couldn't see all that well, but he could make out a few things. For starters, Gramma Stuffum was in the middle of the room, waving a pot of indiscernable food about in her excitement. "And now, you silly skinny child, you will be fed!" she laughed loudly, food minions marching towards her captive eagerly. Hoagie frowned, not able to see who exactly the captured kid was from his current position. He backed off a little, deciding he ought to find the others for some back-up, when he saw the large amount of food minions marching into the cafeteria.

"Gramma Stuffum! We've caught the intruders!" the brussel sprout minions shouted excitedly. Gramma Stuffum turned from her captive, emerging from the kitchen.

"Good work, my brussel sprouts!" she beamed at them evilly. "Well, if it isn't those skinny Kids Next Door! Time to eat up!" she cackled, the food beginning to throw themselves at Wally and Kuki. They tried to fight it off, but there was just too much food; they were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer amount.

Hoagie took this time to sneak into the kitchen as quietly as he could, making his way over to the captive quickly. "Hey, I'm here to help you out," he told him, starting to untie him.

"Am I glad to see you," the African-American kid sighed in relief, standing up and stretching when he was freed.

"Y'know, you seem a little familiar," Hoagie said, looking thoughtful. "But I can't seem to place it right now…"

"Shouldn't we be helping those intruders that got caught?" the familiar boy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, let's go…" Numbuh 2 nodded, re-focusing on the mission. The two boys peered out the door, Gramma Stuffum laughing at her overly stuffed victims. "Now, how are we going to get out of here…There's just two of us versus her and her food army…" he hummed.

"I think I have a plan," the familiar boy told Hoagie, quickly explaining the plan to him. Hoagie just grinned, nodding.

"That just might work," he said, the two hurrying to put their—admittedly simple—plan into action.

"Now, to feed my prisoner," Gramma Stuffum smirked to herself, though a loud crash from the kitchen startled her. "What's going on?" she scowled, stomping towards the kitchen while her food minions followed her. She slammed the doors open, looking around the kitchen. A stack of boxes had toppled over, but otherwise the kitchen was empty. "Where did he go?!" she demanded, confused by the disappearance of the prisoner. "He needs to be fed!"

Wally and Kuki just groaned from being overfed, barely reacting when Hoagie and the other boy dropped down from the air vents above the cafeteria. "Don't worry guys, we're getting ya outta here," Hoagie whispered to them, the two boys starting to roll the other kids towards the doors quickly.

"Hey!" One of the brussel sprouts shouted from the kitchen doorway when the Kids Next Door operatives were just about out the door. "They're getting away! After them!" the vegetable demanded, though it was once again knocked over by its stampeding comrades, as the food surged after the four kids.

"Hurry!" Hoagie shouted, starting to run as he rolled Kuki along down the hallways. The other boy ran too, rolling Wally. "This way!" Hoagie called, slowing just enough to be able to make a left turn with his overstuffed teammate. The other boy did the same, keeping up with Numbuh 2 fairly easily. Food suddenly ran out in front of them, looking angry.

"What now?" the boy called to Hoagie, looking worried.

"Just run 'em over!" he yelled back, Numbuhs 3 and 4 shortly colliding and squishing the food minions ahead of them. "Wow, I can't believe that worked!"

"Ugh, so gross…" Wally groaned as the food was squashed.

"Get back here! You need to be fed!" Gramma Stuffum shouted from somewhere behind them. Hoagie and the other boy just kept running, looking for the front doors while avoiding or running over the enemy food.

"There it is! We're home free!" Numbuh 2 shouted, looking relieved as they reached the door…until Wally and Kuki got stuck in the doorframe together. The other boy groaned in despair, looking back and seeing the food minions just down the hall. "There's just one thing to do…"

"What?"

"Push!" Hoagie shouted in response, pushing against Kuki as hard as he could. The other boy used his shoulder, putting his weight into pushing against Wally, and after a few seconds both operatives were freed of the door and rolled towards the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. "C'mon, hurry, on board!" Numbuh 2 said, rushing out to roll Kuki on board. He turned and helped the other boy retrieve Wally, shutting the airship's door and lifting off just as the food came pouring out of the school behind them.

"Woohoo…" Kuki groaned, looking like she might be sick. Hoagie just sighed in relief, starting to fly them back towards the treehouse.

"Thanks for rescuing me," the familiar boy sighed, sinking into one of the chairs.

"No problem, it's what we do," Numbuh 2 answered. "Now, what's your name? I still can't entirely recognize you…"

"It's…" the other boy hesitated, suddenly looking a little nervous. "I'm…Lenny," he said at last, putting his hands up quickly. "But I'm not Delightfulized anymore, I swear! I woke up in some building near the school, and before I knew it, Gramma Stuffum captured me!" he explained, while Hoagie's jaw dropped.

"Lenny?! Oh boy, the others are going to be glad to see you…" he said, shocked that they'd been sent to find and rescue one of the former Sector Z members. He jumped when they got an incoming transmission, coming from the treehouse.

"Numbuh 2! Are you there? We've got a situation—teenagers are attacking the treehouse!" Constance shouted. "We're trying to hold them off, but there are a lot of them! We need help!"

* * *

 **Dun dun dun! Longest chapter yet, and it was the most unplanned one so far xD Enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review if you'd like!**


	8. Under Attack

The treehouse had been quiet for a while after the members of Sector V had left. Ashley, David and Constance had just been watching tv; though they were more interested in how the current was progressing than anything they could find to watch.

"I wish we could have gone too…" Ashley sighed, already knowing that they couldn't have possibly gone along. There was just too much risk for them, though it led the blonde girl to wondering if they'd ever be able to be active operatives again, or even lead a normal life, without fear of Father trying to capture them again.

She hadn't mentioned it to her friends and teammates, not after how they'd handled David's incident, but she'd had recent nightmares. She hadn't woken up screaming, to be fair, but Father had been prominent in her dreams. Ashley didn't want to say she was terrified, or worry her friends more than they might already be. She just wanted things to be like how they were before…

Crashing noises pulled Ashley out of her train of thought, startling her. David and Constance jumped off the couch, frowning in concern. Ashley stood just after them, the three of them instantly on alert as they drew weapons before carefully heading off to find out what exactly was going on in the treehouse at the moment.

What they found were teenagers. At least three of them were already inside, and the former operatives couldn't tell if there were more outside or not. Cree Lincoln was, as usual, leading the Teen Ninjas, and she just looked around the treehouse with a smirk.

"Good thing those babies next door are gone. Destroying this dumb treehouse will be even easier," she chuckled darkly. "Though it won't be as satisfying as destroying the dumb brats at the same time." The other teenagers laughed along with her, starting to attack the treehouse.

"We have to do something," Constance whispered to her teammates. "We can't just let them destroy the treehouse, and they'll find us either way. So let's get the drop on them," she continued, and the two other former operatives nodded in agreement. They split up to try to curb as much damage to the treehouse as they could, sneaking around the teenagers carefully, and attacked when they had their backs turned to them.

"Hey! There are some dumb brats here!" the targeted teenagers shouted, fighting back. Cree just scowled as Chad dropped into the treehouse beside her.

"It was supposed to be empty! What are they doing here?" she growled, going one way to find the operatives while Chad went another.

"Kicking your teenage butts, that's what," Ashley smirked, sending one teenager running after a skillful beating with her trusty umbrella sword. Even if 2x4 technology had advanced quite a bit since Sector Z became delightfulized, she felt most comfortable using an umbrella sword and refused to give it up very easily.

"The only ones who are going to get their butts kicked here are you dumb babies," Cree spat, glaring at the blonde as she found her. Ashley glared back at her.

"Bring it on, teenager," she growled, jumping forward to fight the Teen Ninja leader. Cree just smirked, settling into a battle stance as the former Sector Z member advanced.

Chad just smirked at the pre-occupied Constance, preparing to hit her from behind as she fought with another teen. He frowned deeply in annoyance when he was hit with a soda can, though it bounced off his armor harmlessly.

"Hey blondey, are you that much of a coward that you're going to sucker punch someone?" David called out to him, smirking. Chad just turned and glared at him, cracking his knuckles.

"Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm the best there is," Chad huffed at him, throwing a punch at the brunette boy.

"That's funny, that's what they used to say about us too," David grinned tauntingly at him, catching his punch. The teenager just growled at him, starting to fight the kid before him more seriously than he'd initially intended to. Constance just turned to watch them briefly once she'd sent her opponent running, just frowning a little before running off. Even if Sector Z had been the best of the best, there were just the three of them. They were far outnumbered by the armored teen, and Constance knew they couldn't win alone; she had to contact Numbuhs 2, 3, and 4 and let them know they were in trouble. She made it to mission control easily enough, fighting off a few teenagers on the way.

"Numbuh 2! Are you there? We've got a situation—teenagers are attacking the treehouse!" Constance shouted, when the transmission connected. "We're trying to hold them off, but there are a lot of them! We need help!"

"We'll be right there, you guys hold on!" Hoagie answered in response, the transmission cutting out just after. Constance just ran off to try to help her teammates and fend off more of the teenagers.

"Did you really think you could stop us?" Cree scoffed as she knocked Ashley away, smirking. "Although there is something familiar about you…" she frowned, feeling a little weirded out somehow. "Not that it matters. We're going to destroy this dumb treehouse, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Ashley stood back up, scowling. "We're going to stop you, because we never give up! We won't let you destroy this treehouse, if it's the last thing we do!" She rushed at the teenager again, umbrella sword ready to attack.

"You dumb kids never learn," Cree snickered, launching a kick at the blonde. Ashley dodged it, swinging her umbrella at Cree and landing a hit. "Wow, congratulations. You got lucky," the older girl sneered, continuing to fight the blonde.

"If you were considered the best, you're certainly all washed up now," Chad taunted, landing a punch to David's face and knocking him to the floor. "I won't hurt you too much if you just give up now."

"That one wasn't too bad," David said, standing back up. "You can nearly hit as hard as my little sister," the brunette smirked, watching Chad's expression turn sour.

"Kids Next Door, Battlestations!" Hoagie shouted when he and the team arrived, along with Lenny, running into the treehouse with weapons drawn. The teenagers all just turned and scowled at the extra operatives arriving.

"That's just great. Now there's more of you to deal with," Cree grumbled, watching the members of Sector V engage the teen ninjas. "This is just becoming a hassle, and we have more important things to do than to waste more time kicking your butts," she said, kicking Ashley away again. "Teen Ninjas! Time to go!"

The rest of the teenagers just turned at Cree's command, starting to fly out of the treehouse. "This isn't over, kid," Chad glared at David, flying upwards.

"Whatever you say," David replied, just rolling his eyes at the teenager. Chad frowned deeply in irritation, though just smirked after a minute, watching something else all of a sudden. David suddenly frowned, noticing the smirk and trying to figure out what the older boy was looking at. "Hey, what are you…" he started, getting interrupted by Chad suddenly swooping down to grab at Constance nearby. David ran towards her in response, managing to push her just out of the way and getting grabbed by Chad instead.

"You know, you dumb brat, I had a feeling you might do that," Chad said, his turn to grin tauntingly. "Hey guys, help me out with this," he called out to one of the other teen ninjas, the other teenager coming over to help Chad re-position the flailing operative so he could be carried away more easily. "There we go," Chad snickered. "So long, Babies Next Door!" he laughed, flying off through the hole the teenagers had created on their way in.

"David!" Ashley shouted, having noticed the struggling captive as she came running, and looking horrified. "No!"

"David?" Cree paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "There's no way…" she grinned evilly as she and the other teen ninjas left the treehouse. Constance just frowned, making her way over to Ashley.

"I'm sorry, if I'd noticed…He wouldn't have pushed me out of the way…" she said to her friend, feeling guilty.

"I-It's fine. We didn't expect something like that to happen," Ashley shrugged a little, starting to feel just a little bit sick to her stomach.

"We'll get him back, no matter where he ends up," Lenny spoke up, looking determined, and the two girls looked over at him.

"Lenny! You're okay," they both sighed in relief. "At least that's one less thing to worry about..."

* * *

 **Couldn't help it, needed to update again xD But I don't have chapter 9 done...So who knows when the next update will be! (Hopefully this weekend, I promise I'll try.) Don't forget to review if you'd like xD**


	9. Captured

"We need to go rescue David," Ashley insisted, not very long after the attack from the teen ninjas.

"We also need to repair our treehouse," Numbuh 2 stated. "And come up with a plan. We can't just go barging into…wherever they took him, which is another point: we don't even know where they took him!"

"Then we need to find him, or something!" the blonde said, looking determined. "We can't just leave him with them! Who knows what they could do to him," she huffed. "Or who they could turn him over to…" she added more quietly, worried about her friend and teammate.

"Well, let's help repair the treehouse first," Constance suggested. "It'll go faster if we all help out, and then we can all start trying to find out where David is." Ashley simply nodded in agreement after a minute or two, everyone starting to help repair the damaged treehouse.

* * *

Chad Dickson hadn't intended to kidnap any of the Kids Next Door operatives. At least, he hadn't at the beginning of the mission. The tall brunette boy that he couldn't remember seeing before had gotten on his nerves by mouthing off. He'd dived at the short girl just to shut him up, but the kid had played the hero and got himself caught. He'd carried through with kidnapping him so the other teenagers wouldn't get any suspicions about him. Besides, maybe he could ask the kid some questions later. He did somehow look familiar…

They'd dropped the kid in one of their teen bases, tying his arms behind his back despite his struggling, before gagging him and tying his ankles together. David just squirmed uncomfortably, irritated with the care the teenagers took in binding him, and with the knots they'd tied.

"So, what are we going to do with this dumb kid?" Chad asked, smirking a little.

"I'm not sure yet," Cree shrugged, not overly caring about their prisoner. "Just go throw him in a holding cell or something for now, we can figure out what to do with him later." Chad just nodded, grabbing David by his ankles before dragging the brunette behind him as he headed down a hallway. David just grumbled muffedly behind his gag, trying to wriggle out of the blonde teen's grasp.

"You'd better knock that off, twerp," Chad growled at him, tightening his grip on the kid's ankles. David grumbled at him again, glaring at his back. Chad opened a metal door before long, looking up and down the empty hallway before pulling David inside, shutting the door behind them. "Listen kid," the blonde started. "I want to ask you a few things. Things'll go better for you if you behave and just tell me what I want to know, got it?" he asked, loosening and removing David's gag.

"Why exactly do you think I should tell you anything?" David spat, glaring at him. "Things can't get much worse, so I'm not going to tell you anything."

"Things can always get worse, you dumb brat," Chad shook his head, scowling. "Who are you, anyway? I've never seen you in that dumb treehouse before. Where did you even come from?"

"Like I said, I'm not going to tell you anything," David retorted. "Why would I? So you can go hurt my friends? I don't think so."

"You're such a stubborn brat," the blonde let out a frustrated sigh. "I want to help you, but if this is how you're going to act…"

"It's almost like I was brought here against my will, tied up, and unwillingly dragged down a hallway," David answered sarcastically. "Why would you of all people want to help me? You took me here in the first place. I'm not going to betray my friends."

"Ugh, I want to hit you so much right now," Chad grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation. "Look, I'll loosen the rope if you promise not to be an idiot about this. You can't break out of here by yourself, so if you slip the rope now you're only dooming yourself, but you could wait for a better chance," he said. David just raised his eyebrow at the blonde, but watched as Chad loosened the rope around his ankles just enough so it'd only hold if he didn't struggle much. Chad did the same to the rope keeping David's hands behind him, and then sat back.

"…Thank you?" David said, confused at why the teenager was now helping him.

"Now, who are you?" Chad asked. "I think I've just demonstrated that I want to help," he added, going to the door to carefully check for any other teenagers; the hallway was still clear.

"The name's David," David answered him simply. "I was part of Sector Z."

"Sector Z? Sector Z was lost…" Chad hissed quietly, shocked at the news. "Where were you and the other operatives?"

"Shouldn't you have been decommissioned?" the brunette asked, raising his eyebrow at him again.

"I got out of the moonbase before that happened," Chad told him quickly. "But back to my question. Where were you?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now," David muttered, frowning deeply. "I just…Still don't trust you enough to tell you that."

"Alright, alright," Chad sighed. "I suppose that's fair enough," he muttered, though blinked when he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. "Time for the gag to go back," he said quietly, David barely protesting when the teenager tied the gag back into his mouth. He still wasn't entirely sure why, but the blonde was apparently trying to help him, and he was in no position to refuse his help at the moment.

Chad just kicked him in the stomach, not overly hard, as the other teenagers opened the door. They snickered a little, smirking. "C'mon Chad, Cree wants to talk to ya," one guy told him, Chad following them out of the room and down the hallway after shutting the door, leaving David in the holding cell for the time being.

* * *

"I've been thinking about the prisoner," Cree said after a few hours. "We have no use for him ourselves. There's almost no point in keeping him here," she shrugged.

"We aren't just going to let him go, are we?" Justin asked, looking confused. Cree just snorted in response.

"Of course we're not just going to let him go! I was thinking more along the lines of handing him over to someone who has more use of a brat like him," she snickered, an evil smirk spreading across her face. "What I think we should do with the dumb kid…is hand him off to Father."

* * *

 **Sorry for the short-ish chapter xD But here's chapter 9 at last! Enjoy!**


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